Microsoft and comScore in Online Ad Partnership

Microsoft and comScore are collaborating to build a hybrid audience measurement tool, which will allow advertisers to determine and predict how consumers will respond to their digital ads.

The new Reach and Frequency Planner (RF Planner) combines Microsoft's ad service data with demographic information from comScore's panel. It will offer forecasted reach and frequency for online ad campaigns, as well as comScore's post-buy reporting to show how closely the campaign performance tracked to the prediction.

'Current online reach and frequency metrics are typically computed at the site level,' explained Gian Fulgoni, comScore Chairman and co-founder. 'This new hybrid approach to digital media planning offers the granular campaign-level analysis and streamlined planning capabilities upon which brand advertisers have long relied in the traditional media environment.'

The closed beta of the RF Planner will begin immediately, with a select number of brand advertisers participating in the initial phase.

Last week, Microsoft announced a deal which will combine its Bing search engine with search across Yahoo!'s sites.

Web sites: www.microsoft.com and www.comscore.com .